— Eleanor Grisanti talking to her grandkids as remembered by Dorothy Zbornak.

Eleanor Grisanti was Sophia's late mother and Dorothy's maternal grandmother. She is shown to be very critical and headstrong. She is less tolerant of back talk, going as far to slap her middle-aged daughter when she feels as though she's being disrespectful (which Sophia does herself to a young adult Dorothy).

In 1952, she decided to enter politics. She felt it was her personal responsibility to elect Adlai Stevenson for president. She didn't care for Eisenhower since he liberated Italy and she said "Italy is liberated enough! Already too many people eating meat on Friday. Wearing condoms on Saturday."

Five years later, during Mother's Day, Dorothy brings in her grandmother since Sophia (and a reluctant Salvadore "Sal" Petrillo) decided that she had to move in with them. She refuses since she dislikes Sal, so Sal said that since he is the king of the house he wants her to move in, Eleanor asks if he meant that, Sal said no, and she said; "Too bad, you said it!".

When Rose Nylund asked whatever happened to her, Dorothy answered (sarcastically) that she colonized life on Venus. Dorothy then said that her grandmother died when she was 6 at the age of 94 (which is not possible since she was seen in one episode when Dorothy was an adult). Rose then asked how did she die, to which, the agitated Dorothy answered; "You know, we're not sure. One night, she left in her wheelchair and she never came back. The next day, the neighborhood kids had a go-kart, with two really big back wheels."

It is mentioned she loved veal shank since her daughter Angela Vecchio bought her that for Mother's Day. Dorothy inherited Eleanor's hearing problem since it's a genetic disease that skips a generation. Dorothy wore a hearing aid after learning that she had this disease.